Lightning Strife: Ace Attorney
by AlchemistSkyress78
Summary: It's a new start as Lightning, a new defense attorney, takes on cases and prove her client's innocence, but there is a mysterious power at work inside a strange bracelet she wears. OC/AU
1. Turnabout Beginnings

**Disclaimer:** The Phoenix Wright games belongs to Capcom and nothing more. However, the story, characters, and events are entirely fictional and the aforementioned stuff belong to me except Phoenix Wright.

It was 9:18 in the morning and I was nervous about my first trial. Standing there in the defendant lobby made the atmosphere quite tense and I was waiting for my trusted mentor to show up. I caught a glimpse of a woman wearing a black and white business suit.

I knew who she was by her dark brown hair tied in place with a pink hairband. Trying to make my voice as calm as possible, I said, "Good morning, Chief. How are you?" She answered, "I am good as usual. How are you, Light?" That is the first nickname Anita calls me by. I replied, "I'm just a little bit nervous."

Anita just smiles and says, "Well, I'll introduce you to our client and she will be the defendant in this trial." I nodded slightly and I didn't feel so nervous anymore. I felt happy because Anita and I are close friends when we worked together in our small law firm.

Then, our client arrived and she was wearing a white dress and black boots as usual. She said, "Hello, Light. It's good to see you again." I replied, "Wait a minute... Who are you?"

Celestia didn't expect that from me and asked, "Um, I'm your friend from your childhood, remember?" It took me five minutes to recognize her completely and I replied, "Oh, yes. Sorry, I'm still recovering from my amnesia."

Anita smiled warmly and said, "That's all right. My colleague is still recovering from amnesia. We'll clear your name and win this case. I'm sure of it." Celestia nodded in agreement and says, "Okay. Good luck, you two. I believe in you." She left and Anita and I were the only people in the defendant lobby.

Anita motioned for me to come inside the courtroom and suddenly, I felt very nervous. _"Okay, Light. You've got to stay calm. Don't worry about the others. You're just going to be fine."_I thought. We sat next to each other in the left side.

The judge asked, "Are you ready, Ms. Strife? If not, we will test you on your readiness." I calmly answered, "I think I might be ready, but I am not sure." The judge nodded in order to sympathize with me and said, "Then, I'll test you to see if you are ready for this trial."

I knew what was coming as the judge was going to ask me a few questions about the case. He asked, "What is the victim's name?" _"Oh, I know this one. It's- Wait a minute... What? I completely forgot!_" I thought frantically as I searched for answers in my mind.

Fortunately, Anita turned to me and worriedly asked, "Is everything okay, Light?" I replied, "I'm okay, Chief. The victim's name is Madeline Andrews, Your Honor." The judge nodded in agreement with my answer and said, "That is correct. How was the victim killed?"

Anita said, "If you're not sure, you can always check the Court Record for the answer." I replied, "Okay. The victim was shot by a pistol." The judge nodded when I told the right answer, "That is correct. Please state the name of the defendant in this case."

I answered, "The defendant's name is Celestia White." The judge said, "That is correct. You did a good job answering these questions correctly and I assume that you are now ready for this trial." I replied, "Thank you, Your Honor."

Anita smiled warmly at me and I was confident that I can win this case and clear Celestia's name. I saw the prosecutor on the opposite side of the courtroom. Apparently, she was talking with the judge about the evidence she was going to submit.

Anita asked, "Do you know who she is, Light?" I shook my head in response and she said, "Well, her name is Linda Armstrong and she's a fashion designer." _"Wait, so she's a prosecutor for this case? That makes perfect sense..."_I thought.

Linda said, "I would like to submit evidence to the court." The judge nodded and replied, "The court accepts this as evidence." The pistol and the note was added to the Court Record. She made her opening statement to the court and called on her first witness to testify.

A young man appeared on the witness stand and Linda said, "State your name and occupation." The man answered, "Rodney Trent. I'm a news reporter." The judge said, "The witness will testify against the court." Anita turned to me and said, "Remember to look for inconsistencies in his testimony."

I nodded slightly and replied, "Right. I'll remember that." Anita nodded her head to indicate that she understood and watched the whole case unfold in the courtroom. The judge said, "The witness shall provide his testimony to the court."

Rodney's testimony went like this:

"It was a normal day, like always."

"Apparently, I saw a young woman in white and she was minding her own business."

"Then, the victim appeared before her."

"I saw the girl strike her with a staff!"

"I ran to call the police after I witnessed this murder."

"When the police arrived, she was already gone."

The testimony ended and I looked up to see what the judge has in mind. He was deep in thought and he said, "Ms. Strife, you may cross examine the witness." I took my time reading through the lines in his testimony and cried:

_"Hold it!"_

I asked, "Your day was normal, correct?" Rodney answered, "Yes. It was perfectly normal." _"There's no contradiction... The first part has no lies!"_I thought. I replied, "Right. Can you tell us what happened next?" Rodney continued, "Apparently, I saw a young woman in white."

_"Hold it!"_

I asked, "Who was the young woman in white?" Rodney replied, "I didn't know her name." That sounds like Celestia all right, I thought. Rodney said, "Then, the victim appeared before her."

_Hold it!_

I asked, "Did you really see the victim?" Rodney replied, "Yes. I saw him coming towards the young woman in white." Wait a minute. This piece of information contradicts the victim's gender, I thought. Anita said, "I'll have this statement added to the testimony.

Rodney revised his testimony, so it looked like this:

"I'm pretty sure I saw him going towards her."

_"This could be it. I finally found a contradiction!"_I thought. I looked through the Court Record and presented the victim's profile.

_"Objection!"_

All of the people in the courtroom, including the judge turned to look at me and I knew this was my chance. I said, "Look at the victim's profile, Mr. Trent. Do you see a man?" Rodney said, "Yes. I saw a man." I replied, "Are you sure? Because I think you're just gender-confused." The judge asked, "What is the meaning of this, Ms. Strife?"

I explained, "Your Honor, the witness is confusing the victim for a male when in fact, the victim's true gender is female!" Anita said, "Good job, Light. You saw a contradiction." I replied, "Thank you, Chief."

_"Objection!"_

Linda explained, "The victim was just confused." The judge said, "Objection overruled." I was just feeling pretty confident about this trial.

Then, the judge asked, "Will the witness testify to the court about the moment of the murder?" Rodney replied, "Yes, Your Honor." He made a new testimony which went like this:

"When I came to the park, I saw the defendant walking towards the victim."

"The victim was calmly looking inside her purse."

"Then, I saw her being struck by the defendant's staff!"

"I just stood there as I watched the whole murder scene unfold right before my eyes."

The judge was deep in thought again and said, "The defense may begin its cross examination." I read over the lines of his new testimony and I already found another contradiction, but I didn't present anything yet as I needed to press him for more information.

_"Hold it!"_

I asked, "Why didn't you not mention going to the park in your first testimony?" Rodney replied, "Well, I sorta forgot." _"This sounds kinda fishy to me..."_I thought. Rodney continued, "The victim was calmly looking at her purse."

_"Hold it!"_

I asked, "What was she looking for when she looked inside her purse?" Rodney replied, "I think she was looking for some make-up to make herself pretty." _"Um, I don't think that's a very good answer to this question..."_I thought as I looked uninterested.

Rodney said, "Then, I saw her being struck by the defendant's staff!" I knew right away that there was another contradiction in his statement. I looked through the Court Record again and present the autopsy report. Rodney looked kind of shocked when I cried:

_"Objection!"_

The eyes in the courtroom turned to look at me and I said, "I found something wrong in your statement, Mr. Trent. You said that the defendant struck the victim with her staff." Rodney replied, "That is true, yes."

I explained, "But, when you look at the victim, she was not struck with a staff. There was no bruise on her head that indicates death by a blunt trauma wound!" Rodney was shocked by my objection to his statement and the judge looked surprised, too.

The judge asked, "Then, are you saying that he should be accused?" I nodded in agreement and said, "Yes. I accuse Mr. Trent of murder!" Rodney was in shock and he broke down because he knew that his plan didn't go so well.

The judge said, "Then, this trial is over. If either side has any fur-" He was cut off by the prosecutor, who cried:

_"Objection!"_

Linda said, "That's impossible. He can't be accused because he didn't confess to his crime." The judge shook his head and said, "Objection overruled. The court finds the defendant...not guilty!"

"Has the witness recovered?" the judge asked as he turned to the prosecution's side. Linda replied, "Yes. We are working on his arrest now." The judge said as he banged his gavel once, "Good. Court is adjourned!" I was glad that this trial turned out to be good. Anita was smiling as she and I walked back to the defendant lobby. She said, "Good job, Light. You have proven the defendant's innocence and I'm proud of you."

I replied sheepishly, "Um, thanks. It was really hard for me to find something wrong in his testimony, but it was worth it." Celestia came up to me and said, "Thank you for proving my innocence today! I could've ended up in jail if you didn't stand up for me."

I nodded slightly and said, "You're welcome, old friend." Celestia replied, "Well, I have to go, but we'll remain friends forever." Anita nodded in agreement and said, "Yes. Call us if you ever need help." Then, Celestia left the defendant lobby.

Suddenly, I felt a weird vibe coming from my bracelet which I wore on my right arm. I felt a tense feeling, but I couldn't find what or who was causing it. Somehow, I felt that the strange bracelet that I was wearing could reveal its powers later on...

* * *

><p><strong>Please R&amp;R. Constructive criticism will be appreciated. ^^<strong>


	2. Turnabout Bonds

**Disclaimer:** The Ace Attorney series belongs to Capcom and nothing more. However, the story, characters, and events are entirely fictional and the aforementioned stuff belong to me except Phoenix Wright.

**Well, Chapter 2 is up. I hope you enjoy it. ^^**

* * *

><p>I was in the office and it was already 9:00 at night when I smelled something familiar. "<em>This sure smells like blood to me<em>." I thought as I frantically ran into the next room. Lying against the wall, was my mentor and friend, Anita Hudson.

I was horrified to see this, but I kept my calm composure and knelt down beside her. I felt her arm for any signs of life and sure enough, her arm was warm. After a few minutes passed, her arm went cold and tears streamed down my face.

I dried my tears after grieving for a while and I was determined to find out who killed her. I also saw a young boy with long, silver hair tied back in a ponytail and he was crying, too. I felt bad for the young boy, but I felt that he didn't have to cry like a little baby.

I saw a knife by the victim and picked it up. Somehow, I knew that this was strange as I've never seen it before. After I added the knife to the Court Record, I saw a receipt which read in letters covered in blood, "Luneth." The receipt was added to the Court Record as well and I found some glass shards which I believed that it belonged to a glass stand which fell down. I added the glass shards to the Court Record and I walked over to where the young boy stood.

I comforted him and asked, "Are you okay?" Fortunately, he stopped crying and replied, "Yes. I think I'm okay." I said, "It's all right. Once in a while, someone loses their loved one." He wiped his eyes using his gloved hand and said, "Thank you for making me feel better. I'm Luneth and I think she's your mentor, right?"

I nodded slightly and said, "Yes, she was my mentor when I started out as a rookie defense attorney a year ago. I'm Lightning and I think you need to request my services just in case if you get accused for murder." He nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, I'll do that. I knew your mentor quite well. She was my babysitter when I was little."

_"Come to think of it. Just who was that lady at the window over there_." I thought. He asked, "Do you think that lady saw us?" I nodded in agreement and said, "She did see us at the crime scene. I'm pretty sure she's a little shocked, too."

Just before we were about to leave the room, the detective and the police officers came. The detective, whom I could obviously see, was female and she arrested Luneth on the spot. I said, "He's not a suspect, Detective. Let him go."

She replied, "Well, who else am I going to arrest? This boy is a suspect on this crime and don't tamper with the crime scene." "_I don't think he's a suspect, but she has a right to arrest him_." I thought. After the police checked the room for anything suspicious, they left for the police department.

The morning was bright as the sun rose to the sky and I quickly went out of the office and down to the detention center. Luneth was still shocked over my mentor's death, but he managed to keep his emotions in check after the murder.

I decided to ask him some questions. I asked, "Did you ask anyone to defend you yet?" He replied with sadness in his voice, "No. Not yet. No one would ever take me as their client." I said, "Well, I'll defend you in court tomorrow. Don't worry, everything will be just fine." He said, "Okay." He smiled happily and I couldn't imagine how happy he was inside when I agreed to defend him in court.

I agreed to ask another question and I asked, "Could you tell me a little bit about yourself?" He replied, "Well, I'm a Freelancer and I came from the Floating Continent. I'm from the village of Ur." I said, "Well, that's weird as I'm from Ur, too."

He asked, "You're from my hometown, Light? I replied, "Yes. I was about fourteen when I was taken in by Elder Topapa and Nina. I believe we share the same home." I asked, "Can you tell me what happened today, please?" He said, "All right." He paused for a moment and continued, "Well, I received a phone call from your mentor. She said something about holding on to some evidence she had in her possession."

I asked, "And what kind of evidence did she want you to keep?" He replied, "Well, she wanted me to keep the knife." "_That's pretty dangerous for a young teenager like him_." I thought. He continued, "Well, I don't have my cell phone with me right now. I think the detective has it." I said, "I'll go get it."

I went back to where the crime scene was and the detective was there, too. The detective saw me and said, "Hey! Don't tamper with the crime scene!" I replied, "You don't need to shout, Detective. I'm not really tampering with the crime scene." The detective said, "Well, okay. My name is Detective Annabel Bennett, ma'am!"

I replied, "I see. Well, do you think you could give the cell phone back to me? I sort of need it for something important." She answered, "Well, I'm not sure about that, but I'll let you have it." I replied, "Thanks. I'll keep it with me. Do you think you have time to answer some of my questions for me before I go?"

She replied, "Uh, sure. I'll answer some questions that you might have in this case." I asked, "What happened during the murder?" She answered, "Well, the murder happened around 9:00 PM, so I would say that she was shot by the very same pistol. Here, I'll give you the autopsy report and the Floor Plans." She handed me the autopsy report of the victim.

The autopsy report and floor plans were added to the Court Record and I thanked the detective. I went back to the detention center and Luneth was still there, apparently sitting in his chair. He was happy to see me and he asked, "Well, how did it go?" I chuckled a little and replied, "I got your cell phone back."

He said, "Can I hear my caretaker's voice again, Light? I want to remember the good times we had." I replied, "Yes, you may." He took the phone out of my hands and listened to the conversation as newly fresh tears streamed down his face. He gave the phone back and said, "Thank you for letting me listen to her voice again."

I smiled and said, "You should drop by my office after the trial is over. I have to tell you something important." He asked, "What is it?" I replied, "It's a secret. You won't find out until the trial is over." He said, "Okay. I'll drop by your office when the trial is over."

I nodded and went back to the scene of the crime. Apparently, the detective was the only one there and I asked, "Who is the witness for this trial?" Detective Annabel replied, "I can't tell you who the witness is, but I'll tell you who's going to be at the trial tomorrow. I think Ms. Ingrid May would be at the trial tomorrow. She's at the hotel right now."

I said, "Well, thanks for the tip. I'll be sure to repay you back later when I have the chance." The detective replied, "Um, okay." She looked away from me to continue her work and I ran to the hotel. Apparently, the hotel was elegantly clean. I spoke with the receptionist for the hotel and arrived in a small hotel room.

I examined the room until I saw something that bothered me. A screwdriver was in the top drawer. I knew that this drawer might contain something suspicious, but before I could take a look inside, a woman whom I didn't recognize shouted, "Hey! Don't go through my things! It's private property!"

I turned to look at a woman who was wearing a red business suit with pink hearts as the buttons. Apparently, I could see that she had a cleavage on, too. _Now, we know who's milkshake brings all the boys to the yard_, I thought. She said, "Ooh! You look so beautiful. I bet all the men look at you like they're looking at me." _Um, I don't think they would look at me like that_, I thought as I looked sweaty and nervous.

I said, "Anyway, I would like to ask you some questions, Ms. May." She winked at me and said, "Go ahead, honey." I could tell that this woman was acting flirtatious with me, but I ignored it. I asked, "Could you tell me a little about yourself?" She said, "Well, I'm Ingrid May and I love being a nice girl."

I said, "Yes. I can see that. Well, I'll have to go." She said, "Good-bye, Ms. Lawyer." _She didn't even know my name_, I thought as I left the room to go to another office. I could see that the office was kind of messy as I knew what was going on.

A voice asked, "Ahem! What are you doing here, my dear?" I literally jumped when a portly, mustached man in an orange suit stepped into the office just now. I said, "Mr. Seville! How's it going?" He replied, "I'm fine as you can see. How are you, my dear?" I replied, "Actually, I'm okay at the moment. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"

He replied, "Sure, but I'm very busy today." I asked, "Can you tell me about Anita?" His eyes lit up at the very moment I mentioned her name to him and he replied, "Well, she was a very determined woman who never gave up on any circumstances. I assume that you used her tactics in the courtroom as well, right?"

I answered, "Yes. I remembered how she used some of the tactics I use today. She would bluff her way in until the witness cracked." He said, "I was always looking out for your mentor. It seems that she has taught you well and I thought you were going to pay the hotel a visit." I replied, "Oh, yes. I'm going to go over there. See you soon."

I left his office and went back to the hotel where I met the woman. She wasn't there, so I finally had the chance to look inside her drawer with a screwdriver in it. It was a black wiretap and I was certain that it looked suspicious. I slipped it into the Court Record and a voice said, "Welcome to the hotel, miss! How may I serve you?" The voice belonged to a man in a elegant, yellow tuxedo.

I asked, "Who are you?" The man answered, "Why, I am the Bellboy as I work at the hotel. I assume you're looking for Ms. May?" I replied, "Um, I guess so." He said, "Well, I'm afraid she's using...the facilities." I asked, "Do you know Ms. May?" He replied, "Absolutely, miss. I knew her as she was bursting forth with radiance, miss."

I asked, "Can you tell me about this hotel?" He replied, "Ah, that is a good question, miss. You see, the hotel has been around for many years and I've been loyal to this hotel ever since." I asked, "So, you knew Ms. May and then?" He replied, "I personally checked her in, miss. She was amazingly charming if I do say so myself. She always drinks her ice coffee when she requests some, miss."

I said, "I see. Well, it was nice meeting you and all, but I got to go. I'll see you soon." The bellboy replied, "Anytime at all, miss." I left the hotel, knowing that she was the one who framed Luneth for the murder. It was going to be, without a doubt, the most hardest trial yet...

The next morning, I headed on over to the defendant lobby where Luneth was standing. Apparently, he was anxious to see how today's trial would play out, but I was perfectly calm about it. He asked, "So, how was your day today, Light?" I replied, "It was good. I found some more information about the witness and some evidence."

He nodded in agreement and said, "Well, I hope you'll do your best at the trial today." I replied, "Yes, let's just hope that the judge doesn't render a guilty verdict on you. I don't think you killed her." I assured him that we'll be okay and I headed to the courtroom.

* * *

><p>The judge said, "Court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Luneth." I said, "The defense is ready, Your Honor." I noticed a young woman at the prosecutor's side who was wearing a purple business suit with white sleeves. She said, "The prosecution is ready, Your Honor." Then, it hit me like a lightning bolt. I knew this woman was Circe, my other best friend who helped me lots of times.<p>

He said, "Well then, let's get started. Prosecution, you may call your first witness." She said, "Of course, Your Honor. I would like to call Ms. Ingrid May to the stand." A few minutes later, Miss May was on the witness stand and she was quite pleased herself. Circe said, "Witness, state your name and occupation."

She said as she winked towards the judge, "I'm Ingrid May and I am a secretary." The judge said while looking surprised, "The witness would refrain from making those flirtatious gestures." She said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I'll be a good girl. I promise. Tee hee."

He said, "The witness will provide her testimony." "_I have a feeling that it's not going to be good_." I thought. I tried to think about what happened yesterday. The murder. My client. The witness. The murder weapon. It was too much to think about at this point and I tried to remain calm as the judge rambled on about something.

Miss May's testimony went like this:

"It was, like, 9:00 at night. I looked out the window, y'know!"

"And then, ooh! I saw a woman with long hair being attacked!"

"The one attacking her was the young boy sitting in the defendant's chair!"

"Then the woman, like, dodged to one side and ran away!"

"But that boy, he caught up to her and... and... He stabbed her!"

"Then the woman with the long hair..."

"She kinda...slumped."

"The end. That's all I saw. Every little bitsy witsy!"

The judge closed his eyes for a moment and opened them. He said, "Well, Ms. Strife? Will you cross-examine the witness?" I replied, "Yes, Your Honor. I'm doing it." I listened closely to her testimony and I found nothing wrong with it. I decided to press her anyway.

_"Hold it!"_

I asked, "Are you sure it was the defendant who attacked her, Miss May?" She replied, "Yes. I know that this boy murdered her. I'm positive he did kill her."

_"Objection!"_

Circe shook her head in disappointment and continued, "She's right. The defendant could've killed her for he was the one who was in the same room as her."

The judge said, "I have to admit, it does make sense." _She's right. Circe made a valid argument for the veracity of Miss May's claims,_ I thought. I banged my hands on the table and said, "I question your testimony, Miss May. I don't think you make a lot of sense when you stated that the defendant killed the victim."

Miss May countered, "Well, I saw him kill her. I really did!" I smirked and said, "Miss May, I'm willing to bet that you're lying. In fact, you're just a big, fat liar!" The jury went crazy when I made that remark towards Miss May, but it just had to be done.

The judge shouted as he banged his gavel to silence the jury, "Order! Order! Order in the court, please!" He asked hastily, "What is the meaning of this, Ms. Strife?" I replied, "Your Honor, Miss May just fabricated the truth and I know she did." The judge said, "Very well. Miss May, please testify once more."

Miss May replied, "Okay! Ms. Lawyer, you're going down!" _Why does she always call me that? It's not like she's looking for revenge or something similar_, I thought. I could see that she was getting ready to testify again and I was ready to back her into a corner.

Miss May's second testimony went like this:

"I did see everything! I did!"

"The victim - the woman - dodged the first attack and ran off to the right."

"Then the boy in a brown vest ran after her..."

"And he stabbed her with that weapon! I saw it! I did!"

"That... That dagger! Um... the kinda sword-y blade? "The Main Gauche," I think?"

"Well? Does the accuracy of my report not startle you? Tee hee!"

The judge thought about something for a moment and said, "Ms. Strife, your cross-examination please." I nodded and skimmed through her testimony in order to find a contradiction. The fifth statement struck me as odd, so I presented the knife.

_"Objection!"_

I asked, "See this, Miss May? It's a knife. Now, tell me how exactly do you know that this knife is a blade?" Miss May replied, "Well, I know that knife is a sword of some sort, so I'm pretty sure I know it." The judge asked, "Well, Ms. Strife? Are you satisfied?" I shook my head in disappointment and said, "No, Your Honor. I'm not satisfied because it's not really a sword!" Circe cried, "Objection!" She explained, "Obviously, she is confused about the two subjects."

I countered, "Objection! She's lying about what object she saw at the moment of the murder." The judge said, "Now, wait just a minute. How does she know that the knife was a dagger?" I presented Luneth's cell phone.

_"Take that!"_

I said, "Listen to this, Your Honor."

[Cell Phone Conversation, 8:36 PM]

*beep*

[Luneth: Hello, Ms. Hudson.]

[Anita: Hello, sweetie. Do you remember me?]

[Luneth: Yes. I do remember you.]

[Anita: Oh, yes. I forgot to ask you. Can you hold on to some evidence for me?]

[Anita: It's a knife or a dagger if you prefer to call it that way.]

[Anita: I should tell you. The knife is still a little dull, so you'll have to sharpen it a little.]

[Luneth: That's lame! I never knew it was unsharpened.]

[Anita: Yes, well I had a good day today.]

[Luneth: That's great.]

[Anita: My student worked hard at the trial and I'm proud of her.]

[Luneth: Who is your student, Ms. Hudson?]

[Anita: You'll find out. She's a defense attorney, but she's inexperienced, so give her three more years.]

[Luneth: Okay. I will and I'll see you later.]

*beep*

Miss May countered, "Well, I heard of the knife before because I go to a lot of stores that have knifes like this, but I forgot which ones." The judge asked, "Does the defense have any objections, Ms. Strife?" I replied, "Yes, Your Honor." The judge said, "Very well. Please produce the evidence that will prove the witness has not seen the knife before." I presented the knife again.

_"Take that!"_

I explained, "As I was saying, Your Honor, I believe that the witness didn't know that this was a knife. In fact, she had no knowledge of its existence beforehand!" The jury went crazy and I was confident that I can clear my client's name.

The judge banged his gavel once and the crowd settled down. I said, "Miss May, you knew the weapon was a knife because you had heard about it." The judge said, "Oh, I see. Well then, show me the evidence proving that the witness has "heard" the murder weapon was a knife." I presented the wiretap.

_"Take that!"_

Miss May got all angry when she saw the black wiretap and shouted, "What? Who do you think you are, Ms. Lawyer? A burglar? YOU WENT THROUGH MY THINGS, DIDN'T YOU?" I replied, "Now, calm down. I didn't mean any harm in taking some suspicious evidence out of your drawer. I simply wanted to show the court about how you knew the weapon was a knife."

I continued, "Your Honor, the proof that the victim said, on the phone, that the weapon was a knife is the client's cell phone!" The jury went crazy, so the judge had to silence them with a single bang of his gavel while he pleaded for them to stop.

He asked, "What is the meaning of this, Ms. Strife?" I smirked and replied, "The witness is obviously lying, but I would like to ask a question for the witness, Your Honor." The judge nodded and said, "Yes, you may." _Now to deal the final blow_, I thought. I asked, "Why did you use the wiretap?" Miss May said, "Well, I had to use it in order to find out something. I think that fits with my answer."

_"Objection!"_

Circe said, "Well, I think we should excuse her from the witness stand. Do you agree, Your Honor?" The judge nodded and said, "Oh, yes. I believe she's exhausted from answering those questions today. What should you do, Ms. Strife?"

I replied, "Um, well... I think we should call the Bellboy as a witness." I saw Circe shaking her head in disappointment again and she said, "Quite a good show, old friend. I must say, you've grown quite a bit. Fine, I'll play along in your little game, but there is one condition." I asked, "What is?" She replied, "If you can't find anything wrong with the testimony, your client will be forced to live with the guilty verdict."

I gasped in surprise as she told me her condition for calling the bellboy as a witness. I couldn't believe how mean-spirited she was, but then I remembered. She changed and I knew her way of being a perfectionist. I said, "Fine. I accept your proposal, prosecution." Circe laughed and replied, "I'll get my guilty verdict soon and you'll pay. Your Honor, I would like to call the Bellboy as a witness."

A few minutes later, the bellboy was on the witness stand and Circe said, "State your name and occupation." The bellboy answered, "I'm simply called as the Bellboy and I believe I'm a hotel attendant." The judge said, "The witness shall provide his testimony."

The bellboy's testimony went like this:

"I am the head bellboy at the fine Watergate Hotel, in business for four generations!"

"I believe I received a call after 8:00 in the evening from our guest, Miss May."

"She asked for an iced coffee to be brought to her at 9:00, on the dot, miss."

"I brought it to her at precisely the requested time, of course."

"And I delivered the ice coffee to our guest, Miss May herself."

The judge closed his eyes for a moment and opened them. He said, "Ms. Strife, you may cross-examine the witness." I skimmed through the testimony before asking the bellboy some questions. The bellboy said, "I am the head bellboy at the fine Watergate Hotel, in business for four generations!"

_"Hold it!"_

I asked, "What exactly is it you do at the hotel?" The bellboy answered, "Why, anything required of me, miss. I check in guests, I check out guests. I clean rooms, I make beds. I even deliver room service, miss. I checked Miss May in personally." I asked, "Are you always so... so prim?" The judge said sternly, "Ms. Strife. You will refrain from asking frivolous questions..."

The bellboy continued, "I believe I received a call after 8:00 in the evening from our guest, Miss May."

_"Hold it!"_

I asked, "Are you sure it was Miss May on the phone?" The bellboy replied, "Absolutely, miss." I asked, "H-how can you be so certain!" The bellboy answered, "I checked Miss May in personally, miss. Not only did I see her in all her stunning radiance, but I also heard her voice. And then I saw THEM, and I..." He trailed off for a moment in order to clear his throat and he continued, "The point being, I remembered her quite well, miss." The judge asked, "Yes, what then?"

The bellboy said, "She asked for an ice coffee to be brought to her at 9:00, on the dot, miss."

_"Hold it!"_

I asked, "9:00 "on the dot," you say?" The bellboy answered, "Yes. I confirmed that detail several times. She was watching a program on the TV, and wished to drink after she finished, miss." _9:00... The time of the murder_, I thought.

The bellboy continued, "I brought it to her at precisely the requested time, of course."

_"Hold it!"_

I asked, "'Precisely' 9:00, then?" The bellboy answered, "Precisely, exactly, and most definitely, miss, 9:00 PM." I asked hastily, "How can you be so sure!" He replied, "Miss May was quite insistent that it be brought then. 'Oh, bellboy? Tee hee! I'd, like, like, ice coffee at exactly 9:00!' Something like that, miss. Therefore, I knocked on her door at the crack of 9:00, miss. _Why would she be so particular about the time_, I thought.

The bellboy continued, "And I delivered the ice coffee to our guest, Miss May herself."

_"Hold it!"_

I asked, "You are sure it was Miss April May herself?" He answered, "Ab-SO-lutely, miss." I asked, "'Ab-SO-lutely'...?" He explained, "Yes, miss. As in, "so very absolutely," miss. It's an endearing mannerism of mine." I asked, "How come you're so very certain!" The bellboy replied, "Well, when I brought the room service, miss... S-she... the guest, miss, favored me w-with a, um, an "embrasser," miss."

I asked, "'Embrasser!' Is that French for 'embrace'?" He explained, "It's French for "kiss," miss. But not a french kiss, miss! More of a peck on the cheek." I asked, "Wh-why would she do that...?" The bellboy explained, "I believe, perhaps, she was momentarily swayed by my prim demeanor, miss. It was a moment I shall never, ever forget, miss."

_Sounds pretty fishy to me... I think our Miss May was up to something and wanted the bellboy to remember her!_ The courtroom went silent for a moment before my voice broke the silence. I said, _"It's no good!" "Is... is that it!"_ I thought. Circe said, "Tsk tsk. Finally, you understand. This bellboy has absolutely no reason to lie! Now... If you have any decency, you will end this rather tedious cross-examination here!"

The judge said, "Hmm. It was a bit tedious. The witness may leave the stand." _I can't let this happen... can I?_

Finally making my decision to protest, I shouted, "W-wait! Please wait!" The judge asked, "Yes? Does the defense have anything to add?" I replied, "One last question... let me ask one last question!"

_"Objection!"_

Circe said, "Your Honor, I must object. This charade of justice has gone on long enough!" Fortunately, the judge seemed to sympathize with me as he said, "Now, now, Ms. Nightshade. Alright, Ms. Strife. I'll give you one more question, that's all." _Okay. This is really it, now. This is my last chance! What do I ask him about...?_

I said, "T-tell me about check-in! Tell me about when you checked-in Miss May!" The bellboy said, "Oh, alright. Very well, miss." He explained, "My first thought was that she was a beautiful, beautiful person. She's just my type of girl, so it was a disappointment, really." I replied, "I see... Huh? Excuse me... what exactly was a 'disappointment'?" He explained, "Well, I am not without charm, miss, but even I'd have little chance with her lover there."

I realized what he was talking about. _What did he say! _I said, "What did you say!" He said, "Ah! Oh... er... rather, quite!" I said, "Bellboy! Tell us the truth now... Did Miss May check in with another person?"

_"Objection!"_

Circe said, "I object! That was... objectionable!" The judge went silent for a moment before he said, "Objection overruled. The witness will answer the question." The bellboy said, "Er... yes, I see." I asked, "Why did you not mention this in your testimony!" The bellboy explained, "W-well, miss, you, er... you didn't ask!"

_"Nice try!" _I thought. "That's the sort of thing you're normally supposed to mention!" He said, "Ah, yes, quite. Indeed... It was the, er, good barrister there, Ms. Nightshade, who..." I realized that she was the one who told him not to mention it. He explained, "She asked me not to mention it if I wasn't specifically asked, miss."

Circe made a face which had her guilt all over it and said, "Y-you fool!" I said, "I've done it... I've won!" I explained, "Miss Ingrid May checked into a twin room...with a man. Correct?" He replied, "Yes, miss." I asked, "Then, when you brought them room service, you didn't see that man in the room...?"

He replied, "That's right, miss." The judge said while thinking quietly, "Hmm..." I shouted, "Your Honor! We have just learned of another person involved who may have been the murderer! In this new light, I hold that it's impossible to judge the defendant. You agree, Ms. Nightshade?"

Circe asked, "Who! Who is this 'other person'!" I explained, "Simple, it was the man who checked in with Miss May!" I looked at the prosecution's side and sure enough, her face was full of surprise again. I continued, "Your Honor! As has been previously revealed, Miss Ingrid May was tapping the victim's phone. Yet, Miss May herself has an alibi at the time of the murder. However, that does not clear the man that was with her! The bellboy saw no one else in the room at the time of the murder!"

Circe said, "M-my, what a convenient little setup... but it's too late..." I said, "'Too late'? I suppose you'd like it if it was too late, wouldn't you? After all, it was you who hid the presence of the other man from this court!" The look of surprise returned to her face again and she said, "Upstart... amateur...! T-these accusations are... ludicrous!" The judge shouted, "Enough!" He said, "The court acknowledges the defense's argument. I expect the prosecution and defense to look into this matter fully! Am I understood?"

Finally, Circe calmed down and said as she gasped for breaths, "Yes... Yes, Your Honor." The judge said, "That is all today for the trial of Mr. Luneth. Court is adjourned!"

* * *

><p>After the trial, I went to the defendant lobby where Luneth was waiting for me. He said, "Ms. Lightning! You were amazing in there!" I asked, "R-really?" He said, "I think I might be your newest friend. Then again, that other attorney was pretty cool, too..." I said, "Huh?" He replied, "Those eyes of hers sent shivers down my spine."<p>

I replied, "Hmm... If you say so." He asked, "So, what happens with me? Do I get to go home now?" I replied, "I don't think so. Not yet." He hung his head replied, "Oh... I see." I tried to lighten up the mood a little and said, "But I got a great lead in today's trial!" He asked, "A 'lead'?" I answered, "That man with Miss May! He's the key!" His eyes lit up and he replied, "Oh! I get it. What happened to Miss May after that, anyway?"

I replied, "I heard they arrested her. I guess she's learning her charms won't work anywhere. She's probably at the detention center now. I may have to go down there later. Anyway. This case is far from closed." He did a salute and replied eagerly, "Yes, ma'am!" I replied, "I'm going to find out more about this man." He asked, "Do you think he was the one who...?"

I replied, "Maybe so." He replied sadly, "Ms. Hudson..." I said cheerfully, "Don't worry, I'll find him by tomorrow. I promise." He replied, "I'm counting on you!" He left the defendant lobby and I was all alone. I said to myself, "I asked for a full record of Ingrid May's testimony. I thought it might come in handy during the trial tomorrow. But now that I have it, I'm no so sure. Most of her testimony was all lies... In fact, there's only one part that got left on the record."

May's Testimony was added to the Court Record and I continued, "I don't know how much good this will do me at all, now. Anyway, time to hit the pavement and do some investigating! Luneth doesn't belong in that detention center and it's up to me to get him free!"

* * *

><p><strong>Please R&amp;R. It helps to keep it going and Chapter 3 will be coming soon.<strong>


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